Pete spots Anna and points to her hair. “Gee, that is a pretty hair thingamajiggy. Looks expensive. Possibly of dragon origin, wouldn’t you say, Olaf?”
“It was a gift,” Anna says stiffly. “Gilly found it on the ground.”
“Found it,” Pete repeats. “I guess that’s the only way anyone in this boot could afford a piece of jewelry like that.” Olaf and Pete chuckle, and it takes all my willpower not to deck them both. My parents say nothing. “Gillian is a lucky girl.”
“I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you’re getting at,” I snap. “It was just lying on the ground by the Pegasus stables.”
“You mean like this satchel?” Pete pulls the green satchel of rolls from behind his back and Hamish lets out a sob. Our dinner. “We found this on your back steps. It looks a lot like the one that went missing this morning at Gnome-olia Bakery. I guess that’s a coincidence.” Olaf pushes past Trixie to muscle his way to me. “Come clean, Gillian.” Pete’s beady eyes darken. “You stole that hair clip from a royal at Combing the Sea. Neil, the shop owner, places you there five minutes before the royal realized it was missing.”
Fiddlesticks. I’m busted, but my best bet is to stick to my story. “I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe the girl has the same clip as the one I found.”
“Gilly?” I hear Anna’s soft voice and I turn to see her disappointed face. “You didn’t find this, did you?” I can’t lie to Anna. So I don’t say anything. “Here.” Anna takes the clip from her hair with trembling hands and hands it to Pete. “This doesn’t belong to me.”
“Sorry, kid.” He scratches his beard, which hangs all the way down to his knees, and looks at me greedily. “This is your third offense. You know what that means.”
I feel the color drain from my face. “Second offense! Those golden eggs came rolling down the hill toward me at the Fairy Festival, I swear.”
Pete gives Olaf the handcuffs to put on me. Han and Hamish start to wail.
“I’m taking you in,” Pete says. “Headmistress Flora already got your order approved.” He hands my parents an eggplant-colored scroll I’ve seen only twice before. Both times were when thieves got hauled off to FTRS. I’ve never seen either kid again.
Mother shakily unspools the scroll to read it and Father takes it from her hands. I look over their shoulders to read it myself.
URGENT MESSAGE
FOR HAL AND EVA, PARENTS OF GILLIAN COBBLER:
Your daughter Gillian COBBLER has been taken into custody for the third time for PETTY THEFT. By order of the Enchantasia Dwarf Police Squad, this REPEATED OFFENSE requires that she be taken to Fairy Tale Reform School immediately.
Please follow the dwarf squad to FTRS to register her for admission. Bring any personal items she will need for an extended stay.
Headmistress Flora, FTRS
MESSAGE APPROVED BY: Princess Ella
I feel Olaf click the cool metal around my wrists in front of me, and my heart drops.
“Here’s the school brochure too.” Pete gives one to Mother, who immediately opens it and starts reading. I can see the school’s gold crest on the front of the pamphlet.
“Don’t take Gilly!” Han cries, gripping the bottom of my overalls. Hamish throws himself on me along with Trixie. Felix looks sad.
Tears stream down Anna’s face. “This has to be a mistake! Tell them it was an accident,” Anna begs me. “You didn’t mean to take the comb, right?” Her eyes are so wide and innocent that I only feel worse. But seeing Pete’s smug face makes something inside me snap.
“Maybe I did mean to take that comb,” I say defiantly, and Father glares at me. “I had no choice! The shoe shop is doing terribly. We don’t have enough money to eat!”
“Gilly!” Mother wrings her hands. “We do not talk about family matters in public.”
“We’re fine,” Father tells Pete and Olaf. “The shoe business isn’t what it used to be, but it’s fine.” Father is furious with me, I can tell.
“You should pack her a bag,” Pete tells my mom. “Don’t forget her toothbrush. This one is going to be there a while.”
Father could care less if I go. My only hope is Mother. “You know me,” I plead. “Don’t let them take me away. I messed up, but I’m no villain.”
Mother’s face crumbles. “Not yet, but you could become one if you don’t start changing your ways.” My jaw drops, and her cheeks burn. “You say you’re trying to help us, but you’re so focused on the royals and what they have. That hatred worries me.” She looks down at her apron. “And besides, the brochure says the school has wonderful classes. They’ll be much more interesting than the ones you’re in at trade school,” she says brightly. “Maybe now you’ll really learn something and won’t feel the need to skip out.”
Pete snorts. “She’ll regret the day she skips a class at FTRS. I’ll tell you that.” Pete gruffly pushes me toward the door, sidestepping the coatrack.